â€œMen say he [Teddy Roosevelt] is not safe. He is not safe for the men who wish to prosecute selfish schemes to the public detriment . . . who wish government to be conducted with greater reference to campaign contributions than to the public good . . . who wish to draw the President of the United States into a corner and make whispered arrangements which they dare not have known by their constituents.â€ Elihu Root, 1904.
Teddy Roosevelt devoted his adult life to civil service in order to make life for American citizens better. He was a man with a large collection of interests; a man who possessed incredible knowledge; and a man who knew how to interact with people and make them like him. He had a great zest for life and wanted to be admired and in the limelight all of the time. He was a powerful speaker who used his body to make his points strongly in order to enliven the audience. He was also a perfect gentleman who detested dirty jokes and sent for dueling pistols any time anyone made any sign that they were interested in his wife. .
Roosevelt was a new type of politician that ended the Gilded Age politicianâ€™s control. The Gilded Age politics are described by John J Newman in United States History as â€œâ€¦ the era of â€œforgettableâ€ presidents, none of whom served two consecutive terms, and of politicians who largely ignored problems arising from the growth of industry in cities. The two major parties in these years avoided taking a stand on controversial issues.â€ (380) Roosevelt changed this by taking a stand on issues as a state senator, governor and as the president. He took a stand even though he lost some support. He did what he believed to be right taking very few cues from his senior politicians in his Republican Party. During the gilded age, when Roosevelt was ending college and starting his political life, the government allowed the industry to grow with any interference.